Female in Focus x Nikon 2025 Winners Amplify Women’s Voices in Photography

10 hours ago 7

left, a person in a white dress and veil stands on a rooftop; center, a woman in a blue dress poses outdoors with mountains behind her; right, two women’s heads and hands appear isolated on a white background.

The British Journal of Photography and Nikon have announced the outstanding winners of the Female in Focus 2025 photography competition. The competition celebrates the work of women and non-binary photographers worldwide.

The theme of this year’s Female in Focus competition is On the Cusp, which photographers interpreted in diverse and interesting ways, including work that explores personal transition, cultural upheaval, and environmental change.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate this year’s Female in Focus winners, whose work brilliantly captures the spirit of being ‘on the cusp.’ I’ve been particularly struck by the playful rebelliousness threaded through so many of the images, each one offering a bold and thoughtful perspective on liminality,” says Ruby Nicholson, Senior Communications Manager, Nikon Northern Europe. “It’s a privilege for Nikon to support an award that spotlights the extraordinary talent of female and non-binary photographers, and we’re incredibly proud to help amplify their voices on a global stage.”

Two photographers won for their series, while 21 single images were also selected this year. All the winning photos are featured below, starting with the pair of award-winning photo series.

“The two series that are recognized in this edition of Female in Focus stand at the fault lines of history, where private lives collide with vast systems of power,” says Louise Fedotov-Clements, Director of Photoworks and Female in Focus x Nikon judge. “Together, they are not only timely, they are alarms. They capture the world on the cusp of irreversible change and insist that photography remains an important tool not just for seeing, but for reckoning.”

‘New Scramble’ by Giya Makondo-Wills

Photographer Giya Makondo-Wills’ series “New Scramble,” predominantly set in Johannesburg, South Africa, investigates the rapid expansion of data centers and what the photographer considers a modern-day “scramble” for power and influence in Africa. The project examines how historical patterns of resource extraction and ownership have shaped Africa, and how similar patterns may emerge through data infrastructure.

A hand holds up a curved shard of glass, catching sunlight that creates a bright star-like glint at its tip, with a blurred outdoor background.

Two side-by-side photos of a woman wearing a bright red outfit and headscarf with a white cross; the left image shows her face, and the right shows her back against a green, outdoor background.

A woman in a light blue dress and sandals stands outdoors on a brick-paved area, with mountains, parked cars, and a modern building in the background under a clear blue sky.

A close-up of a person's dirty hand holding a small, square microchip between their fingers. The background is blurred, drawing focus to the electronic component.

A curved, blackened stick or piece of debris is partially buried in white sand, surrounded by footprints and rippled sand patterns under bright sunlight.

Makondo-Wills grapples with concepts of ownership, memory, and communication in the digital age through evocative, often personal imagery, including portraits and landscapes.

“How we communicate is changing — if we don’t own the channels we use to communicate, we don’t own the stories, language, identity, culture,” the photographer says. “What are the implications of this in 100 or 200 years? Could it erase our history, culture?”

Two boys stand on a dusty field with a soccer ball. Both wear school uniforms; one has a prosthetic arm, and the other has two prosthetic legs. Buildings and cars are visible in the background under a clear blue sky.

A collage of six sepia-toned, inverted images showing various urban and suburban buildings, streets, and trees under cloudy skies, arranged in two rows and three columns.

A woman in a peach top and floral skirt sits on a large black leather sectional sofa in a living room, with a water bottle beside her. The room has white walls, curtains, and tiled floors.

A close-up of a hand gripping a strand of razor wire against a dark background, with dramatic lighting highlighting the hand and the sharp edges of the wire.

‘The Other Battlefields’ by Laetitia Vançon

Beginning in June 2022, Laetitia Vançon began photographing graduates in Odesa, Ukraine, just months after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Vançon’s early image of students dancing behind a wall of sandbags built for protection birthed a larger project that explored how young people in Ukraine were caught between two worlds: the life they had imagined they would have and the life they have been living under war.

Young couples in blue and white costumes dance in a street flanked by historic buildings, while sandbags line the foreground and a photographer captures the scene from a ladder. The sky is partly cloudy.

Three people sit in a room assembling items, possibly protective gear, with stacked materials around them. Ukrainian flags hang on the wall, and shelves with various supplies are in the background. The setting appears industrial.

A woman in a plaid coat and red scarf stands holding a subway rail, looking to the side, surrounded by seated and standing passengers, some using their phones, in a crowded subway car.

A group of people in winter clothing transports an injured person covered in a gold thermal blanket on a stretcher. They are outside, near an open military medical vehicle, on a cloudy day.

A shirtless man with tattoos reclines on a bed, propped up on one arm, wearing gray shorts and reading a book. The bed has light-colored sheets and a blue pillow, and the room has beige walls.

A group of young naval cadets in white uniforms and hats walk up and down a staircase inside a building with beige walls and iron railings. Some cadets are looking ahead while others look down or to the side.

While many photographers in Ukraine are focused on the frontlines, Vançon uses her camera to capture daily life, showing students continuing to work hard in the hopes of a better life, volunteers building bulletproof vests for soldiers, young people growing up in constant danger, and more. Vançon’s photos show how war impacts people, whether they are soldiers or not, and the imprint that war leaves on entire generations.

Winners — Single Images

Below are the 21 single photos that won in this year’s Female in Focus x Nikon awards.

An older woman with long, white hair stands on a balcony at night, wearing a star-patterned robe. She looks up thoughtfully at the sky, with trees and a bright moon visible in the background.

Five women are gathered in an outdoor, walled space. Two are seated on chairs in front, while three stand behind them. One standing woman is braiding the hair of one seated woman. Palm trees and buildings are visible in the background.

A group of young couples passionately kiss in a dimly lit, festive room with red tinsel hanging on the wall; people sit and stand around a wooden table, creating an intimate and lively atmosphere.

Three women work together to style another woman’s hair, braiding and trimming her curls. The seated woman looks forward while holding a comb to her chin. All four wear casual, light-colored clothing.

An older person with very short gray hair, wearing a bright yellow long-sleeve top, lies on green grass with small white flowers, resting their head on one arm and looking thoughtfully at the camera.

A person in a blue bodysuit, high heels, gloves, and an afro wig crawls on hands and knees on a suburban street, with a house, cacti, and parked cars in the background under a clear sky.

Two women pose for a portrait outdoors; one sits on a small wooden chair wearing a red top and patterned skirt, while the other stands beside her in a striped polo shirt and dark skirt. Green foliage surrounds them.

A young woman in a blue dress sits in a car with the door open, holding a cigarette. Her hair is windswept, and the background shows the sea under a cloudy sky.

Six young women lie side by side in bed, facing the same direction, with eyes closed and earbuds in. They are under a white blanket with white pillows, wearing similar gray sleepwear.

A child floats peacefully on their back in calm water, with eyes closed and face partially submerged, surrounded by greenery and distant mountains under a blue sky.

A woman in a blue raincoat and red bandana stands waist-deep in water, holding a wire crab trap. She looks off into the distance, with boats and mountains visible in the background under a clear sky.

An elderly person lies in bed, covered by blankets, holding a small mirror to look at their reflection. The room is softly lit and there are colorful pillows beside them.

A young child with a nasal tube rests with eyes closed in a bathtub filled with water and bubbles, appearing peaceful and relaxed.

Four children sit closely together in a warmly lit room, some smiling slightly. The group is casually dressed, with a soccer ball on the floor and a patterned rug underneath them. The background wall is plain with partial artwork visible.

A person in a white ruffled gown and a pink, blue, and white face veil stands on a rooftop at sunset, with city buildings in the background and soft light casting long shadows.

Two people with tattoos rest closely together on a bed, one lying down with their head on their arms, looking at the camera, while the other leans over, gazing softly at them. Sunlight filters through windows in the background.

A young woman leans her head on an older man's shoulder as they sit on an ornate sofa in a room with large windows and luxurious drapes. The man wears a white robe; the woman is in jeans and a sweater, both looking content.

A large, snow-covered object resembling a whale’s back or ribs protrudes from a vast, flat, icy landscape under a pale, hazy sky. The scene is cold, desolate, and covered in white frost.

A person stands on stairs wearing a full-body suit made of pink and silver tinsel, obscuring their face and features. Their hands are exposed, and they are wearing blue slippers. The background is a plain white wall.

A woman in a green dress sits inside a UNHCR tent, handing food to a young boy. A tray with bread, fries, and vegetables is on the floor. The setting is dimly lit, highlighting a sense of intimacy and care.

A young woman and an older woman appear to share a single white garment, with only their heads and clasped hands visible against a seamless white background. Their expressions are calm and serious.

More From Female in Focus x Nikon 2025

The winners above, selected from thousands of excellent submissions, will be presented at 1014 Gallery in London from April 24 through May 29 and at PhotoIreland Dublin from September 10 through October 25.

Image credits: Female in Focus x Nikon is an international photography award by the ‘British Journal of Photography,’ the world’s longest running photography publication founded in 1854, in partnership with Nikon. All photographers are credited in the image captions.

Read Entire Article